"Many years later, as he faced the firing squad, Colonel Aureliano Buendia was to remember that distant afternoon when his father took him to discover ice."
Gabriel Garcia Marquez: "One Hundred Years of Solitude"

Saturday, 30 April 2016

This painting is a part of William Hogarth's The Humours of anElection series. His paintings are still very popular today because many of the iniquities he portrayed can still be seen and felt around us.

Canvassing for Votes, William Hogarth, 1754, The Sir John Soane Museum, London

The series of four oil paintings and some etchings is based on an election in Oxfordshire, England in 1754. The three characters in the central foreground represent the two candidates covertly trying to bribe the innkeeper. Only property-owners could vote at that time. Peering out from the doorway on the left is a soldier whose purpose is to represent uncorrupted patriotism. In front of him the British lion is devouring the fleur-de-lis of France. At the table on the right two old men, possibly sailors, are arguing about the Battle of Portobello in which the British fought the Spanish in Panama.In the background a violent mob from one party are trying to destroy the headquarters of their rivals. A humorous note is the man sawing off the pub-sign unaware that he will fall when it does! Hogarth was an adequate and competent artist but this painting was made for satirical purposes exposing bribery & corruption and mob violence.This series of oil paintings are on a massive scale, measuring five by seven feet; this really elevates them to the genre of 'History Painting'.

Listening to the British folk-singing duo, the formerly married couple, Richard and Linda Thompson's I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight. Listen here.

Saturday, 23 April 2016

Here are the results of the Self-Portrait quiz from my previous post.I have tried to show two self portraits or one plus two photographs, if possible, in each case.Clearly, the winner was David in a difficult quiz buts there were many good answers as well.

Saturday, 16 April 2016

Here are twenty self-portraits; they are all made by people from 'the arts' in general, not necessarily known as painters and one answer appears twice. How many can you name? Answers in about a week's time. No prizes other than the kudos of winning one of Bazza's quizzes! Come on, have a go!

I'm listening to Matching Mole; (Robert Wyatt will shortly feature in a post). This is a sad story from real life: Listen to O'Carolinehere.